


The Tale of the Fairy and the Billionaire

by GraySonOfGotham



Series: Not A Monster, Just Not Human AUs [9]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bruce Wayne is Batman, Bruce is human, Clark is a tiny fairy, Clark is not Superman, Elves, Fae & Fairies, Family Secrets, Fluff, Forbidden Love, Gnomes, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Life-Threatening Injuries, M/M, Major injuries, Mystery, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Pixies, Sacrifice, Secrets, Seelie Court, Solving Mysteries together, Trolls, Water Fairies, swamps
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-24
Updated: 2018-09-09
Packaged: 2019-06-09 01:55:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15256860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GraySonOfGotham/pseuds/GraySonOfGotham
Summary: Bruce Wayne has always loved the forest that grew wild behind the Manor. He was especially fond of the lake. It was a place where he could think.And it is also there he meets a tiny fairy named Clark.





	1. Clark the Fairy

**Author's Note:**

> 中文翻译: [The Tale of the Fairy and the Billionaire](http://www.mtslash.net/thread-267129-1-1.html)
> 
> Thanks [DaisySharp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaisySharp/pseuds/DaisySharp) for the translation! I apologize again for not being able to read it in Chinese! It really bothers me that I can understand Chinese fluently, but not read or write it. I should probably learn... (says, me, for the twentieth time in the past year but hasn't actually gotten to it yet). Thank you again! <333

Bruce threw the cowl and the cape down onto the ground of the cape. He tore off the rest of the suit as quickly as he could. He threw it all into a pile, deciding to deal with it all later.

He was having really bad day. There had been ten hostages in a building. He only got eight of them out in time. The other two did not make it. Bruce was furious at himself for that. He could not stand being in the cave either.

He went up into the Manor, brushing past Alfred, feeling a small twinge of guilt for that. He walked out into the gardens, slamming the door behind him. He took a deep breath, breathing in the air. It was about an hour from sunset, so he could go for a walk, if he wanted.

Bruce started off into the forest that practically engulfed the Manor grounds. As a child, Bruce had loved the forest. He used to play in there, but only near the edge. His parents did not allow him to go too deep into the trees.

But the forest calmed Bruce in a way that not even the cave could. But after his parents’ death, Bruce used to go deeper and deeper into the trees to hide by himself until he felt better.

Alfred strongly disapproved, but he never exactly stopped Bruce either, knowing he needed space. Bruce had explained before that the forest made him feel safe. There were no animals larger than rabbits in those trees, so there really was nothing to worry about.

When he had been sixteen, Bruce found the jewel of the forest. It was a small lake about a twenty minute walk from the edge of the gardens. It was not particularly large, bordering on being a pond.

But it was peaceful there, and Bruce loved it. He would sit there for as long as he could, listening to the sounds of the night start settling in. It always surprised him that he was still in Gotham while sitting by the lake. Night in the city was so different from nighttime here.

And today was no different.

Bruce sat down heavily by the lakeside, leaning against an old, gnarled tree. He leaned his head back on the rough bark and let the cool breeze run over his hot skin and sweaty hair.

He sat there with his eyes closed until he had calmed down. When he opened his eyes again, the sun was just starting to dip over the horizon. The sky was a bold orange color, with hints of darker blue creeping in from the opposite skyline.

He looked out over the lake, at the way the water shimmered all different colors like a kaleidoscopic mirror. Then, something plunked into the center of the lake. Bruce blinked, sitting up a bit. It looked like someone had thrown a small stone into the water. But no one was around.

Bruce watched the water ripple outwards away from where the object disappeared. He waited until the water became still again, and the sun was halfway down before he stood up and left.

A few days later, Bruce decided to spend some time by the lake again. He told Alfred he was going for a walk, then started into the forest.

He settled down in the comfortable nook between two tree roots, overlooking the lake, and opened his book. The afternoon sunlight spilled onto his face, warm and comforting.

Then, he heard a tiny splash from the lake, and he looked up. He saw the most curious thing.

A bright blue ball of… something flew out of the water, barreling towards him. At the edge of the lake, it stopped, and the glowing blue settled and took shape. Bruce stared unblinkingly. It was a tiny person, floating at the edge of the lake, with a slight blue glow surrounding it.

The tiny person floated closer, circling Bruce’s face, looking awed. Then, it reached out to touch his hair.

Bruce jerked back, and so did the tiny person, a small gasp leaving it.

They stared at each other for a few moments.

“What _are_ you?” Bruce murmured.

The little person’s eyes widened comically, and then it zipped away, back towards the lake. Bruce’s eyes followed as the tiny blue ball of light plunked into the center of the glimmering lake. Bruce closed his book, standing up and approaching the edge of the lake. He squatted down and squinted at the place the little person had ducked into. At first, he could not see under the shimmering surface of the lake, but then, he saw the pale face and tiny blue eye.

A small bubble escaped from the being’s mouth and popped on the surface. Then, the little person’s face disappeared. Bruce stayed where he was, watching intently, his mouth turned down in a little frown.

Had he really just seen what he had seen?

He waited, and five minutes later, a tiny head poked out of the water, a few feet away. The little person peered up at him, ducking under a tiny bit again when it saw that Bruce was still watching it.

But slowly, it brought itself out of the water and then slowly floated towards Bruce.

It was floating right in front of Bruce now, and Bruce could see it clearly.

It really was a tiny person, male, by the looks of it. He was wearing something akin to a tiny blue leotard of changing, shimmering shades of blue. The pale blue glow surrounded him like a second skin, moving as he moved.

The person opened his mouth. “You… You can see me?” he asked. His voice was high and tinny, but not jarring.

Bruce stared at it for a moment, then nodded slowly. “Yes, I can see you,” he said. “What… exactly are you?”

The creature looked awed. He started circling Bruce’s head. Bruce was a bit apprehensive, but the creature did not seem to mean him any harm. Instead, he seemed curious.

“I am… I am Gwragedd Annwn,” the creature said. He looked at Bruce’s blank face for a moment before explaining further. “Gwragedd Annwn are… water fairies. Lake Maidens, we are also called.”

“You’re a _fairy_?” Bruce asked, unable not to sound incredulous. “And there are more of you?”

The creature looked away, ducking his – _her?_ – head. “No, I am the last of my kind.”

“And you are… female?” Bruce asked, eyeing the fairy dubiously.

His tiny head shook vigorously. “No,” he said. “Males are just rare among the Gwragedd Annwn. Males are not needed for reproduction, nor can they reproduce,” the fairy explained. “So females are the dominating of our population.” Then, it laughed softly, sounding somewhat to faraway tinkling of wind chimes. “Well, it is just me now.”

“Oh,” Bruce said, unsure of what else to say. “So… do you have a name?”

The fairy nodded proudly. “My given name, the name of my people, is Kal-El. But it is in the language of Gwragedd Annwn. In common fairy language, I go by Clark.”

“Clark,” Bruce said. “Is common fairy language just… English?”

Clark’s expression went alarmed. “English? Is that not one of the languages of the humans? I do not know how to speak _English_!”

“But-”

Clark gasped. “Are you- Are you _human_?”

“…Yes?”

Clark let out a small scream, went limp in the air, and fainted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, wondrous people!
> 
> Welcome, or welcome back! I'm pretty excited about this story, and as some may know, I love these kind of stories. This is a mostly fluffy story, unlike my previous Superbat story. My intent is fluff and happiness, though there may be a bit of hurt/comfort. 
> 
> So leave me a comment and tell me what you think of this idea! <3


	2. Bruce the Human

Bruce had no idea what to do. He usually always had a plan, but this time, he was at a complete loss of what to do next.

He was holding a tiny fairy person in his hands, one that had just fainted at the mention that he was human.

Bruce nudged Clark with his pinkie, rolling the fairy on to his back. He did not wake.

Bruce looked around, but the forest was as still as before. Bruce looked back down at Clark, lying limp in his hand. He marveled at how delicate and small Clark was. He looked like he would die if Bruce were to close on him too hard. He was probably only four inches tall, after all.

Bruce scanned his surroundings again. Clark said he was a water fairy, so maybe water would do him some good?

Bruce placed his cupped hands into the water, submerging Clark under.

The tiny fairy man sat up with a sharp gasp, startling Bruce a bit. Clark then shot out of the water, a huge grin on his face.

He zipped around Bruce, touching his hair, his clothes, his skin, everything.

“What is it like being human? Does it feel weird for everything to be so small? Do humans really eat animals? I heard some humans eat other humans. Do you eat other humans? What is your name? Do you speak English?” Clark gasped all in one breath as he flew around Bruce in a blue blur.

Bruce chuckled. He could not help being a little amused by it all. He was talking to a tiny fairy man. “My name is Bruce,” he said, deciding just to answer one question at a time.

“Bruce,” he said, testing out his name. Then, Clark continued asking questions. “Have you ever met any other fairies? Is it hard to move around in those clothing? What is it like to walk?” Then, he stopped zooming around, coming to a sudden halt right in front of Bruce. Bruce had to lean back a bit to avoid being cross-eyed when looking at Clark. “If- If you speak English,” he said slowly. “How- How do you understand the fairy language?” he asked.

“Wh-”

Bruce was cut off by another gasp from Clark. “Ah! I’m not supposed to be talking to humans! I’m not- I’m not supposed to-” He let out a tiny squeak and then darted away in a fast blur of blue. One minute he was in front of Bruce’s face, the next he was gone, and all that remained of Clark were the ripples coming from the center of the lake.

“Clark?” Bruce called. He waited, but there was no answer. “Clark!”

Bruce stood by the side of the lake until the sun started setting. Then, he sighed, casting one last glance over the lake before turning and starting back home.

In the time after dinner and before patrol, he sat in front of his computer, researching about fairies. There was very limited information, and practically nothing on the Gwragedd Annwn. Bruce gave up after quite a bit of frustration, heading out into the night instead.

~

Clark watched Bruce walk away from the lake. His heart was thudding fast in his chest, and he poked his head out of the water a tiny bit. Bruce was _human_. Fairies have very strict rules not to interact with humans in any way.

But Clark was naturally curious, as were most fae. He could not help it. He had been watching the man for a while now, and only when he believed the man not to be a threat did he approach. Clark was certainly not expecting the man to see him. Clark had never seen a human before, so he did not know Bruce was a human.

Clark nodded to himself. That would be his excuse if the court were to ask. But then his heart sank a little. He had continued to talk to Bruce after he found out the man was human though.

“Clark!”

Clark was jerked out of his thoughts as his best friend materialized beside him. She grabbed him around the waist with her webbed hand and pressing a loud, smacking kiss to the top of his head.

“Hi, Lois,” Clark said, pulling back and breaking out of her hand. Lois was much bigger than him. She was about six times his size, and he was the size of her head. Lois always rubbed that in his face.

“What were you doing?” Lois asked.

“Nothing,” Clark answered, not meeting Lois’ eyes.

Lois grabbed his chin and turned his face towards her. “Nope, you’re lying,” she said. “Tell me what you were looking at. You’re oddly close to the surface. You don’t come to the surface often, Clark.”

Clark pulled away from her again. “How do you know what I do during the day?” he asked. “You can’t go out in the sunlight. You wouldn’t know.”

Lois was an Asrais, also a water fairy, but she could not be caught in the sun, otherwise she would melt into a pool of water and die. She and her sisters often stayed in the depths of the lake, and Clark did too, though he liked exploring the surface.

“Clark,” Lois said warningly.

Clark started looking uncomfortable. He was not good at lying, and he never lied to Lois. “I met a human,” he finally blurted out.

Lois was silent for a beat. “Come again?”

“I met a human, talked to him, touched him, everything,” he said miserably, going limp in the water.

“Clark!” Lois said loudly. “How could you? You _know_ that’s against the laws! You could be banished for it!”

Clark nodded. “I know, I know. So please don’t tell anyone! If the court finds out-”

“If?” Lois exclaimed. “The court always finds out, Clark!”

“Well, they sure will if you keep screaming,” he grumbled, looking around nervously.

Lois huffed. Then, she leaned in. “Were you not careful, Clark? How could a human see you? Weren’t you invisible?”

Clark nodded. “I was! I checked! But he still saw me somehow!”

Lois shook her head and pursed her lips. “Okay,” she finally said. “I’ll keep quiet. But you have to stay away from humans, Clark! Forget about him, and stay in the water from now on!”

“Okay,” Clark said. “Stay away from humans, got it.”

Lois sighed heavily. “Alright, c’mon. We have a meeting to get to.”

They swam deeper and deeper into the lake until they found the cave that led to the fairy world. They swam through it and appeared into a lake that was a mirror image of the one they first came through.


	3. The Fairy Court

Clark and Lois gathered on the side of the crowd. They were all tucked in a clearing, and several large trees surrounding the clearing all stretched upwards and over their heads to create a protective awning over them. Only a small circle was left in the center of the leaves where moonlight streamed down and lit up the clearing.

There were fairies and fae of all kinds, perched in the braches, standing on the ground, floating in the air above the crowd. At the front was a long table, where the Seelie Court sat.

There were five fae creatures that made up the Seelie Court. The Fairy Queen sat at the center, looking absolutely beautiful. Her pale white skin shone in the moonlight, and her crown sat delicately upon her head. Her dress was golden like the sunlight, and her eyes changed colors according to her mood. Right now, they were a placid green.

She was talking quietly with one of her advisors, an alven fairy, her skin translucent, but she was also very beautiful. She was the representative of the fae of the water. On the other side of the alven was a sylph, the representative of the air. On the Queen’s left was a brownie, of the realm of earth creatures. And on the other side of the brownie sat an anthropophage, angled away from the rest of the court, and scowling into the crowd. The anthropophage did not represent a realm of the fae. He was only there because the Queen took pity on him.

Anthropophagi are, simply put, cannibals. They eat humans, and they are usually part of the Unseelie Court. Anthropophagi are lumbering creatures, around five feet tall, without a head, but with their eyes and mouth in their chest. This particular anthropophage was a runt compared to the rest of his kin. He was barely over three feet tall, and he _claimed_ to have an aversion to human flesh. While none of the other fae believed him, the Queen did. She took him in after he was cast out by his family, and she put him on the Court to protect him. But it did not stop the vicious remarks behind his back.

Clark felt bad for the anthropophage. He did not seem that harmful, though his constant glare and the inability to stop the drool from dripping off his razor sharp teeth was kind of intimidating.

Then, there was a sweet tinkling of bells as the Queen called the Court to order. She stood, and all the fairies in the clearing stopped their chatting and listened.

“My dear fae friends,” she said, smiling down at everyone. Her crown glittered prettily in the moonlight. A few goblins looked at it hungrily, but Clark knew they would not try to steal it. They just loved shiny things. “I am so happy to see you all here tonight. However, I bring unfortunate news.”

As most of their other companions did, Lois turned to Clark and whispered, “What do you think happened?”

The Queen raised her hand in the air and a hush fell over them. “We fear that someone from the Unseelie Court has infiltrated our forest and is spying on us.”

Nearly every head turned in unison to look at the anthropophage. He bared his teeth to the crowd and the nearest to him took a fearful step back.

The Queen noticed it however. “My friends, do not pin the blame upon good Lex,” she chided gently. “He is the one that brought it to my attention.”

Another quiet murmuring rose in the crowd.

“ _Lex_ told her? That’s definitely suspicious,” Lois said under her breath. Clark just shrugged.

The Queen waited for the crowd to quiet. “So I caution you. Be careful where you go, and do not go alone. We shall find this spy among us, but until then, please be alert.” She smiled brilliantly. “We are the largest group of mixed fairies and fae from all around the world, and this forest is our sanctuary. Without a Protector, we must protect our home ourselves.” A few cheers in the back, and the Queen smiled at them, nodding her head. “I thank you, dear friends.” She finished her speech and the fae all clapped and cheered. Everyone loved the Queen, after all.

After the court adjourned, Clark had to head out for patrol. Each member of the forest had a special job to do to help their community in some way. Clark’s job was to take the night patrol. He made his way back out of the fairy realm, feeling the sudden cold chill around him. The magical forest in the other realm always felt warm, regardless of season or time of day. It was not the same here. The forest felt cold and a bit foreboding. Clark knew very well that most fairies lived in this realm, only occasionally going to the other realm.

Clark poked his head out of the lake, looking at the spot Bruce liked to sit. It was empty, as he suspected. Clark let out a soft sigh, drawing himself out of the water.

He made his way to the edge of the forest and started his patrol. He made himself invisible, flying around the outskirts of the forest, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.

Each night, several fairies patrolled the forest, all taking different parts. They switched off areas each week.

As Clark reached the edge of the forest that adjacent to the Wayne estate, he slowed down.

He looked at the manor in the distance, with a few lights on. It had barely changed from when it was first built. Clark could not really remember when the manor was built. It had to have been at _least_ a hundred years ago, right? Time melded together so quickly that Clark could not really remember.

Instead, he closed his eyes and let his own magic reach out, searching. He quickly felt it.

A powerful, steady thrumming of fairy magic, like a heartbeat, centered right at Wayne Manor. Clark smiled, letting the warmth of the magic wash over him. He started smiling, but then, reality hit him and the smile died. Clark gave the manor one last sad, lingering look, and he continued on his patrol quickly.

Once the manor disappeared behind the trees, Clark heard low murmurings of voices. He knew he should not eavesdrop, but it could be the spy from the Unseelie Court.

He approached the direction of the voices, hiding behind a protruding knot in a tree, despite the fact that he was invisible.

Clark recognized the voices. It was the brownie and the alven fairies from the Court.

“-terrorize the people,” the brownie said.

“But I still think we should have told them,” the alven argued. “They’re our responsibility to protect, so I think we should have told them.”

“And what?” the brownie asked, a bit harshly. “Have them running in fear and lock themselves in their homes? Just because one fairy disappeared, it does not mean anything, Rach.”

The alven, Rach–possibly short for Rachelle?–sighed. “It’s not just any disappearance. There was no reason for him to just disappear. Even the Queen believes he was kidnapped. She just does not want to worry everyone.”

“For good reason. She is our Queen,” the brownie said. “We do not go against her orders.” His words held a certain finality, signaling that the conversation was over. “Now, good night, Rach.”

The alven lightly kissed the brownie’s cheek. “Good night.”

As they went their separate ways, Clark stayed hidden behind the knot in the tree, his heard thudding loudly. He quickly finished his patrol, turning around gratefully at the end of his section, racing back past Wayne Manor, and diving into the lake.

“Lois!” He called.

Lois swam out of the depths to meet him. “Yes?” she asked. “Wow, you finished patrol quite quickly.”

“Yes,” he said. “And you won’t believe what I just heard.”

“What is it?” Lois asked excitedly. Lois and her sisters were seamstresses of sorts. They spent their days weaving magical cloth of all different properties. Clark thought it was pretty cool, but Lois found it a bore. Which is why she loved every bit of gossip she could get. “Is it another affair?”

Clark shook his head, his eyes wide. “Someone went missing.”

Lois looked confused. “Missing? How do you go missing? There’s nowhere to _go_ missing to.”

Clark shrugged. “I didn’t get all the details. But I overheard a couple members of the Court talking about it.”

Lois gasped. “The Court, Clark? You can’t- You can’t eavesdrop on the Court! You’ll be banished, or worse, _killed_!”

Clark rolled his eyes. “I’m the last of the Gwragedd Annwn. They won’t kill me.”

Lois bit her lower lip. “But they can hurt you. They can lock you up for life, Clark. Do you want to spend the rest of your life behind bars? Away from the water?”

“I suppose not,” he grumbled.

Lois huffed. “Good. I would like you to stick around as well.” Then, she turned and looked up at the sky. “I have to go now. Sunrise is in half an hour, and I don’t want to be caught out. Stay safe and out of trouble, okay?”

Clark nodded sullenly.

She kissed his cheek and darted off back into the waters with a small wave. Clark watched her go.

Then, he headed back to his own little home for some sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I'm so sorry, but I have some bad news. I am currently extremely busy, with the start of school, my play, finishing summer homework, etc. Unfortunately, this means I cannot write much. In fact, it means I practically can't write at all. I'm so sorry about it, and it's only for the next couple weeks or so, but I will be slowing updates for this story, as well as all my other stories. 
> 
> There may only be one update a week for the next two or three weeks, and by then, I hope I can get back to my daily updates. I really would hate to break my streak of 43 days of daily updates, but I may have to do so. I will attempt not to, but this is just as warning, as it does not look possible at the moment. 
> 
> I hope you guys aren't too upset, and I know the plot of this story seems to be just starting, but I hope you guys will understand? Hope you enjoyed regardless, and please leave me a positive comment, though a grand majority of them already are! <333


	4. Heat of the Moment

“Clark!”

Clark stirred in his sleep, his eyes blinking open slowly.

“Clark!”

He sat up in his bed made of some sea grass and a large conch shell. The voice calling his name was gurgled and a bit oddly muffled. So it was not underwater…

Clark awoke with a start and shot towards the surface, bursting through the top, gasping and flying forward as fast as he could.

He crashed into Bruce’s lips, pressing himself tightly against the man’s mouth, breathing hard.

Bruce’s protest died with a surprised sound. Clark held himself there for a few seconds before pulling away. “You- You can’t just _call_ for me,” Clark hissed, floating back a few inches. He looked around worriedly. “Someone could have heard you.”

Bruce smirked. “Someone? Like who?”

“Other fairies?” Clark said, like it was obvious.

But Bruce was surprised. “There are _other_ fairies here?”

Clark nodded, frowning slightly. “Of course. Did you think I’m the only one?”

“…Well, yeah.”

“Oh,” Clark said. “Well, there are others, and so they can’t hear you calling for me!”

“Sorry,” Bruce whispered, also glancing around.

Clark smiled gently. “It’s alright. Honest mistake. Besides, ‘Clark’ is a human name, yes? Not many know me by that name. Just my friends, and I don’t have many of those.”

Bruce seemed to relax a bit. “So, I wanted to ask you some things-”

Clark looked over his shoulder at the water. “We can’t talk here,” he interrupted. “The other fae might overhear us.”

“I… might know a private place,” Bruce said slowly. “If… you’re willing to come?”

Clark hesitated only a second. He was curious though. “Okay,” he finally relented. “But I can’t be seen.”

Bruce smiled and opened his suit pocket a bit. “You can hide in my pocket.”

Clark glanced down at the suit Bruce was wearing, flying over to the pocket. He examined it, poking his head inside. “Okay. That will work, I suppose.” He then tucked himself inside, before poking his head out a tiny bit.

Bruce started walking, his each step jolting Clark gently. It was like a rougher lolling. Bruce keeps walking, and for Clark, it is at an agonizingly slow pace. He poked his head out a little farther. “Where are we going?” Clark asked.

“My house,” Bruce answered simply.

With that, Clark zipped out of his pocket. “I can’t go to a human’s home!” he squeaked. “I’ve- I’ve never even actually been out of this forest since I came here!”

“It’s not far,” Bruce said. “Just outside the forest, actually. It’s why I come here so often,” Bruce admits. “It’s technically part of my property.”

Clark bristles angrily. “ _Your_ property? Oh, right, you humans think you own everything you can see, don’t you? This magic forest is property to the fairies and fae that live here, not _you_.” Then, he sniffed, turning his nose up at Bruce. “Besides, it’s part of the Wayne estate.”

“How’d you know that?” Bruce asked, eyes narrowing.

Clark rolled his eyes. “Everyone knows that.”

Bruce then started laughing. “Clark,” he said. “I _do_ own the Wayne estate.”

Clark blinked. “You… You what? _You_ own the estate?” He looked stunned. “Oh, I didn’t know anyone bought it. The Manor was empty for many years, I thought it was abandoned.”

“Er, yeah, I bought it,” Bruce said. It was probably easier to admit to that than explain how he had been traveling the world after his parents’ died.

“And you live in Wayne Manor?” Clark asked, looking in the manor’s general direction.

“Yes,” Bruce answered.

Clark still looked hesitant. “Even so, fae are forbidden by our laws to go onto the manor grounds. It’s- It’s disrespectful.”

“Disrespectful?” Bruce asked. “To whom?”

Clark bit his lip, hovering nervously. “The late Mr. and Mrs. Wayne.”

Bruce pressed his lips together and his eyes narrowed slightly. Finally, he said, “Well, the property is mine now, and I say you can come.” He then turned on his heels and started walking away.

Clark waited for another couple seconds before flying after him, diving into Bruce’s hair and hiding himself in the thick, soft locks.

“Clark?” Bruce asked softly.

Clark just hummed in response. Then, he let himself drift off to Bruce’s footsteps.

He awoke again not much later, when he felt the powerful thrumming of fairy magic. He parted the sea of hair and saw the manor looming in the distance. Clark sucked in a deep breath, looking behind him. They were halfway between the manor and the forest now.

“Oh, uh, I have a butler too,” Bruce suddenly spoke up. “He’s human, so do I need to hide you or something?”

“No,” Clark said sleepily. “Humans can’t see us fae unless we want them to. Most of the time.”

Bruce opened the back door and stepped inside. “Alfred, I’m back.”

A few moments later, an older man came around the corner. “I take you enjoyed your stroll, Master Bruce?”

“It was quite nice,” Bruce said as Alfred helped remove his suit jacket.

“Fresh air is doing you some good,” Alfred said.

“I do get fresh air.”

“Gotham’s pollution does not count, Master Bruce.”

Bruce sighed. “I’ll be in my room. You may send dinner up. I think I may take a nap before going out tonight.”

“Of course, Master Bruce,” Alfred said smoothly. Then, Bruce walked away, starting up towards his room. Clark sat on his head the entire time, his small fists clenching strands of Bruce’s hair. He could feel the strong magic pumping through even inch of his being, and he just felt so at ease and protected there. He never wanted to leave.

Clark was gently plucked out of Bruce’s hair and set down on a table top. “We’re here?” Clark asked.

Bruce chuckled gently. “Yeah. It’s my room, so no one will disturb us here.”

“And there are no other fae around?”

“Not that I’ve seen,” Bruce said. “So can we talk here?”

“I suppose. What did you want to ask?”

Bruce sat down in an armchair, crossing his legs and looking at Clark, who sat at the edge of the bedside table. “I was doing some research, on fairies and such. There weren’t a lot of information on you guys. Or, I don’t know how much of it is true.”

“So you want to know more about the fairy world?”

Bruce nodded.

“I- I can’t tell you, I’m sorry,” Clark said, ducking his head. “They’re secrets only told to the fae kind.”

“That’s fair, I guess,” Bruce said. “But can you tell me about yourself? You’re a water fairy, yes? So how long can you stay out of water?”

“I can stay out of water,” Clark said. “But my powers come from the water and center around it. For example, if I got hurt, water would heal me faster and make my powers stronger. But I can be out of water, yes.”

“And what powers do you have exactly?” Bruce asked, with a childlike excitement.

Clark smiled. “Well, I can obviously fly pretty quickly, which is why my job is to patrol the forest at night, since I can get the job done quicker.”

“Can all fairies fly?”

Clark shook his head. “Some, not all. I’m kind of special, see. I am a water fairy, but at the same time, I’m also an aerial being. Not many fae are of two elements.”

“And your family? You… mentioned being the last of your kind.”

Clark’s smile died.

“If you don’t want to tell, you don’t have to,” Bruce said softly. “I lost my parents too.”

“No, I don’t mind. So Gwragedd Annwn reproduce through females, by females. But romantic relationships were always with men. But then a rumor started that two females were in a romantic relationship as well as a sexual one. Suddenly, all of them started being suspicious with each other, so there were less and less births. It also did not help that two out of every three babies are male. Females are rare, so to say. And we were already a small race…” Clark trailed off with a sigh. “It doesn’t really matter anymore. I’m the last of my species, and I’m pretty useless in regards to repopulating.” He gave a small self-deprecating laugh. “Sorry about that.”

“No, it’s okay,” Bruce said softly. “You look like you needed to get that off your chest.”

Clark gave him a shy smile. “Thank you, Bruce, for listening to me. I did need to let that out. Hey, can I look around your room? I’ve never… seen so many human things.”

Bruce chuckled softly. “Yeah, sure.” He watched as Clark flitted from object to object, touching with his hands, or in the instance of his bed, throwing his whole body against it over and over again, laughing and gasping at the softness. “So, Clark. There are other fairies, right? Why aren’t you friends with any of them?”

Clark poked his head out of the tissue box. “Oh, I do have a couple friends, yes. Mostly, we don’t cross paths much, since I work at night, and most of the other fae work during the day. And my best friend can’t touch sunlight, so I only see her at night anyway.”

“Oh, so it must be pretty lonely,” Bruce wondered aloud.

Clark hummed, finishing his exploration and dropping back down onto Bruce’s large bed. “Hm, not really. I don’t mind being alone so much. Besides, I have you now! You are very exciting, Bruce.”

“Yes, because you’re not supposed to be talking to me,” Bruce teased.

“That’s only part of it. You’re also the first human I’ve met,” Clark said, sitting up. “You’re interesting too. Tell me about- about humans.”

Bruce smiled, finding it amusing to be explaining such a thing. Clark amused him, and Bruce felt oddly content in the tiny fairy’s company. He felt a lot lighter and brighter than before.

There was a sharp rapping on the door.

“Master Bruce?” Alfred said.

Bruce glanced at Clark, who just shrugged and looked back up at him. “Ah, yes, Alfred?”

“I brought lunch, Master Bruce,” Alfred said, opening the door. “I assume you are taking the day off?”

“Oh, yes, I will be,” Bruce said, nodding at him. Alfred left the tray at the foot of Bruce’s bed, not giving Clark a second glance.

Alfred paused and turned at the doorway. “Then I shall not be disturbing you anymore today?”

Bruce smiled. “Thanks, Alfred. You may have the rest of the day off.”

Alfred nodded. “Of course, Master Bruce. But do call me, should you need anything.” He closed the door behind him.

Bruce turned back to Clark, only to find him no longer sitting on the bed. He was hovering above the tray Alfred had left. He grabbed the handle of the silver dome and pulled.

“Bruce, what’s this?” Clark asked, struggling to lift the dome more than an inch before letting it drop with a clatter again. “Do humans eat _metal_ for nutrients?”

Bruce smiled, gently shooing Clark away. “No, Clark.” He whipped off the dome with a flourish. “This is what we eat.”

Clark flew in close to examine the gently toasted sourdough bread, sliced generously, just like Bruce preferred it. Several slices of thick smoked ham, grilled chicken slices, thin slices of provolone cheese, crunchy lettuce, juicy tomatoes, long slices of pickle, a bit of mayonnaise, all put together into a simple, yet elegant sandwich.

Bruce picked up his sandwich. “So what do you eat?” He took a big bite, wiping the tomato juice that beaded up at the edge of his lips.

“Berries, nuts, roots, depending on what’s in season,” Clark said. “Some types of seaweed, too.”

“Ever had human food?”

Clark shook his head. “I don’t- I don’t know what… that is.”

“None of it?”

Another shake.

Bruce set down his sandwich and opened it up. He broke off a small shred of lettuce and held it out to Clark, who took it and took a small bite.

Clark made a face. “There is no taste!”

“It’s mostly water,” Bruce explained. “You might like the tomatoes better.”

Clark tried the tomatoes. His eyes lit up. “It’s- It’s good! It feels a little funny, a bit… sandy, but I like the sour-sweet taste!”

“Want to try the chicken?” Bruce asked. “Though I don’t know if fairies eat meat…?”

“Some of us do,” Clark said. “I can, but I don’t really have time actually go hunting, so I stick with berries, nuts, and a variety of sea plants.” He pulled off a small chunk of the chicken with his hands. It was a tiny piece, but Clark had to hold it with both hands. Bruce found it pretty adorable. He took a nibble.

“It’s… good. It doesn’t really have any taste… but it does!” Clark took another bite. “

“Interesting,” Bruce noted. “I’ll have Alfred bring more vegetables and fruits next time you come over.”

Clark’s eyes widened. “N-Next time?” A slightly fearful expression came over him again. “I don’t know if it’ll be a good idea… to come _again_.”

“I already told you, Clark, it’s fine. _I_ own this place, not the fairies. Here, try a cookie.” Bruce broke off a piece of the chocolate chip cookie and handed it to Clark, who took it dejectedly.

He took a bite, and suddenly, his expression brightened. “Bruce! This is- This is amazing!” He quickly finished off the crumb and broke off another piece. “What is this… this thing?”

“Alfred’s amazing chocolate chip cookies, of course. No one can resist them.”

Bruce ate his sandwich while Clark slowly ate his way through the entire cookie. It was like watching a caterpillar slowly eat a leaf. It takes a while, but he finishes. Clark lies down on the plate, sated and full. His eyes are half-lidded, but he looks immensely satisfied. Then, he spots the teacup.

He climbs to his feet and flies over. He eyes the amber liquid. He stands carefully on the rim of the cup.

“What is this, Bruce?” Clark asks, touching the surface. He quickly pulls his hand back. “It’s hot!”

“Yeah, it’s jasmine tea,” Bruce explained. “A drink-”

Clark dove into the teacup, splashing hot tea all over the tray. Clark surfaces, giggling. “I like it,” he said.

“…it’s for consumption, not a bath.”

“But it’s hot water, Bruce!” Clark’s eyes are wide. “It’s-“

“Have you never touched hot water before?”

“No… the lake is always cold, and I don’t mind it, but I like this water better!”

Bruce could not keep the fond smile off his face. “Okay, c’mon.” He reached into the teacup and pulled Clark out. He started walking towards the bathroom, Clark dripping all over the carpets. “We’re going to go get you cleaned up, okay?”

Bruce sets Clark down on the side of the sink, plugged it up, and started filling it with hot water. Steam rose from the surface of the water, and Clark stared at it in wonder. “Woah,” he said softly. “It’s… It’s like mist from the waterfall… but going _up_!”

Once the sink was mostly full, Bruce stuck a finger into the just-below-scalding water. He pulled it out quickly, shaking the water off with a flick of his wrist.

“Here,” he said. “Take a bath.” Bruce plopped Clark into the hot water. Clark squeaked in surprise, but his small blue eyes widened comically and he slid into the water as if boneless. He let out a soft sigh. Half his face was underwater.

“Good?” Bruce asked.

Clark mumbled something, but only bubbles arose and gurgled words. Bruce just laughed.

“Okay, I’ll leave you to it then?”

Clark sat up immediately. “Wait! Where are you going?”

“…Just outside. I’m going to try to do some work. You can come out when you’re done. But enjoy your hot water,” Bruce said.

“Oh…” Clark sank back down. “’kay.”

Bruce backed out of the bathroom, a small smile ghosting his face. He took off the vest of his suit as well as the tie. Then, he unbuttoned his shirt a bit before kicking off his shoes and lying back into his bed. He grabbed the book he had been reading recently off the bedside table and resumed reading.

He kept an ear out, listening to the splashing and humming noises coming from the bathroom. Twenty minutes later, a very wet, a very drippy Clark flopped down onto his chest.

“Clark, you’re soaking wet,” Bruce grumbled, setting his book aside to glare at the tiny fairy.

“Oh, sorry,” Clark said. “I usually keep myself dry underwater, but I wanted to actually feel the water this time, so I let myself get wet. Don’t worry, though! I dry fast,” Clark said. He lay down, flat on his back, and yawned. “I’m going to take a nap, okay? You woke me up this morning… too early.”

“Well, you can’t just sleep on me!” Bruce protested half-heartedly.

“Watch… me,” Clark murmured, already falling asleep.

Bruce just sighed heavily, watching as the much smaller being curled up into a ball, his eyes closed, and just breathing softly. The edge of his lips quirked up again. He could not help but smile. Then, he picked his book back up and resigned himself to his fate.

~

Bruce must have fallen asleep as well because when he woke up, his room was dark. A quick glance at the clock told him the sun had set not too long ago. His book had fallen off the bed and lay on the floor.

Clark was nowhere to be seen.

Bruce sat up, frowning down at the dry, but horribly wrinkled fabric of his shirt. He looked around, but saw no movement.

Then, the door to his room opened and the light from the hallway opened.

Alfred cleared his throat from the doorway.

“Did you plan on sleeping in all day, Master Bruce?” he asked with a disapproving frown. He flicked the lights on and pressed his lips even tighter together when he saw the clothes thrown around, the book on the ground, and the disheveled state of his persons.

“Sorry, Alfred,” Bruce said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He scanned his room one more time. “I… fell asleep.”

“I can clearly see that.” Alfred sighed. “Master Bruce, a piece of advice. If you plan on… continuing to indulge in your nocturnal activities, I suggest you… find a better compromise for your other responsibilities. And maybe cut back on the self-indulgence.”

It took a moment for Bruce to get what Alfred was saying. “No, I wasn’t-”

“Dinner is ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is longer than the rest, which is why it took so damn long to write, and I'm sorry if it's not as interesting as the others? I don't know why, but I could not get myself to finish this chapter at all. I would write a couple paragraphs, lose interest, and do something else, only to repeat it again the next day. 
> 
> I'm so sorry about this, again, but school has been hectic, and it's only been a week. I really wish I could do updates as fast as I used to, but it just isn't the case. Until I get my other things under control, I'm afraid I must put writing to the side, as painful as it is for me to do so. I hope you guys understand!
> 
> Thank you so much for sticking through this with me, and leave me a comment to brighten up my day a bit please! I really need the support right now! <333


	5. Recharge and Rest

A couple nights later, Bruce was sound asleep, having just gotten into bed a couple hours ago after patrol.

But a soft and insistent tapping at his window made him drag himself from his warm bed and yank the curtains back.

A tiny firefly-sized ball of light came barreling at his window, bouncing off the glass before it came zooming forward again, making the rapid tapping noise.

The light was moving so fast it was nearly a blur. Bruce rubbed his tired eyes and opened the window.

The light came charging through, into Bruce’s chest.

A small squeak of surprise and Bruce caught Clark in his palm.

“Oof!” Clark said, rolling over and righting himself again in Bruce’s palm. He smiled up at Bruce, quickly pushing off his palm and starting flying around him excitedly. “Bruce, Bruce!” he said. “How are you today? I just finished with my rounds around the forest so I thought I would come by and say hello! What were you doing? You look tired, are you getting enough rest? Oh, oops, humans sleep at night right? Ah, I forgot. Fairies can sleep whenever. We recharge differently. Anyway, I just was popping in to say hello. You should come by the lake again if you have time! I’ve missed talking to you! And I’m totally not supposed to be here right now, so I’m pretty excited, and maybe feeling a little rebellious-” Clark cut off his rambling. “Hey,” he said slowly. “What happened to your shoulder?”

He flew in close, his small face nearly pressed into Bruce’s newly bandaged left shoulder.

“Ah, it’s nothing,” Bruce said casually.

“And you have bruises all over your chest!” Clark gasped. “What did you do? Fall from a tree?”

Bruce smiled a little, yawning again. “Something like that. A ladder, actually.”

Clark crossed his arms and shook his head with pursed lips. “You need to be more careful, Bruce,” he said sternly. He put his hands out and rested them on Bruce’s shoulder. He closed his eyes and just hovered there for a couple moments. Then, he opened his mouth and started singing.

Bruce instantly felt drowsy. He fought to keep his eyes open, watching Clark with boundless curiosity. The song Clark sang was in a language Bruce could not understand this time. In fact, it did not even sound like a human language. Maybe it was some archaic fairy language or something.

Clark’s singing voice was unlike his speaking voice.

While his speaking voice was still rather high-pitched in human standards, seeing that he was a lot smaller in size, his singing voice was even higher, nearly out of human hearing range.

Yet, it was not piercing. It was still soft and melodic. Clark started glowing more, and his usual blue aura grew in size and became stronger, nearly white.

Bruce could not take his eyes off him. Suddenly, the song ended, and Bruce jolted out of his stupor.

“There,” Clark said, floating backwards, letting his hands drop from Bruce’s shoulder.

Bruce eyed him for another second before taking off to the bathroom. He flicked the light on and quickly started unwrapping his shoulder.

The previous bleeding cut was completely gone. There was also no scar. The few purple bruises that scattered his chest, the remains of his fight with Killer Croc that night were also gone.

Bruce looked up in the mirror, eyes wide at Clark, who floated by his ear. Clark smiled tiredly at him.

“Th-Thanks,” Bruce said softly.

“Hm,” Clark hummed, drooping in the air a moment before regaining his balance.

“Shit, did that really take that much strength?” Bruce asked, turning to Clark.

Clark hovered unsteadily. “Healing is usually… very draining… and I usually just heal fae… never tried on a human before.”

Bruce quickly plucked Clark out of the air. “How do you regain your strength then? Recharge, like you mentioned before?” he asked.

Clark snuggled into Bruce’s palm, curling up in a little ball while nuzzling the base of his finger with his cheek. “Water… sunlight… sleep,” he murmured. “Pretty basic stuff.” Then, he smiled shyly. “Cookies help too.”

Bruce smiled slightly, reaching over with his free hand and turning on the hot water of the sink. He let the sink fill up before slipping Clark into it. “Okay, well, I’ll let you soak a while until the sun rises, okay?”

Clark rested his head in his arms, smiling lazily at Bruce. “’Kay,” he said. “Are you going to sleep too?”

Bruce nodded. “I’ll be in the room. When you’re done, you can find somewhere to sleep too.”

Bruce left the bathroom, leaving the door open a crack so Clark could slip through when he was done. He started to climb back into bed, but paused. Then, he headed to his closet instead, pulling out a couple t-shirts he rarely wears, and a sweater.

He then cleared off the table by his bed and crudely made a bed with the clothes. He made the soft sweater the base, using the second t-shirt as mattress-like thing and the last t-shirt a blanket.

Then, he slipped into his own bed, sending one last glance towards the bathroom, before going back to sleep.

Bruce woke up naturally again later with the sunlight streaming into his room and onto his face. He groaned softly and rubbed his eyes, turning away from the sun.

Then, he froze.

Clark was curled up, asleep on his pillow right by his face. The small fairy had pulled the t-shirt from the make-shift bed over and was using it as a blanket, but had opted for Bruce’s pillow instead.

Bruce could not help but smile. He sat up slowly, not wanting to disturb the fairy. He slowly dragged the pillow into the sunlight so Clark could get his energy back faster.

Then, Bruce pulled on a bathrobe and slipped from the room. He found Alfred in the kitchen.

“Hey, Alfred,” Bruce started. “I’m going to take breakfast up to my room. And I think I’ll be taking the day off.”

Alfred looked up from his newspaper, raising an eyebrow. “Oh? Are you feeling unwell?”

“No, I’m just a bit tired,” Bruce said.

“Well, I suppose it is good for you to take a break sometimes,” Alfred said. “Very well, I shall call in for you.”

“Thanks, Alfred,” Bruce said. He started taking his plate from the table then remembered. He went over and grabbed two cookies from the jar on the counter. Alfred watched, his other eyebrow slowing rising to join the first. Bruce flashed him a sheepish smile before ducking from the kitchen.

~

Bruce ate his breakfast on the bed, being careful not to disturb Clark. He saved a bit of everything for Clark, content to let him sleep and just read the newspaper while he waited.

A couple hours later, Bruce reached over and poked Clark in the stomach softly.

“Hey, Clark, wake up now.”

Clark groaned, rubbing his face against the pillow. “Nurrr.”

“I have cookies. You can wake up and eat cookies,” Bruce coaxed. “Are you feeling any better?”

Clark blinked his eyes open and yawned. He stretched, rolling over onto his back, not unlike a cat. “A bit,” Clark admitted. “The water really helped. And the sun feels nice, mm. And cookies,” he said, sitting up. He flashed Bruce a grin before darting for the cookies faster than Bruce could process.

Clark sat in the middle of the plate, breaking off pieces into his hands and eating.

“So, tell me about fairies,” Bruce said.

“Again?” Clark asked around his cookie.

“Last time, you told me about yourself. This time, tell me about fairies in general. You said a lot of them live in the forest? I didn’t know that. I’ve lived here nearly my whole life.”

Clark shrugged. “Yeah, the forest behind the manor is home to the largest, most diverse group of fae in the world. Obviously, the fairy world has more fairies living there, but there are definitely a variety of fae in the forest.”

“Why’s that?” Bruce asked. “Aren’t there different, like, types of fairies? You’re a water fairy, right? As far as I know, the only water in that forest is that lake. It can hardly be called a lake.”

Clark swallowed, finishing off his first cookie at an incredible speed. “Yes, it doesn’t seem large on the outside, but it’s actually huge underneath. The lake also feeds into a few underground streams. Did you know there’s a huge system of caves under the forest and the manor?”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Anyway, the reason there are so many types of fairies is because this forest is one of the few places on Earth where the link between the fairy world and the human world is closest. Most places on Earth, one can only access the fairy world or vice versa at midnight on the solstices, some places on the equinoxes as well, but here, one can access the fairy world at nearly anytime apart from high noon.”

“Oh, isn’t that a bit dangerous though? Having the entrance so close to a city as large and as dangerous as Gotham?”

Clark sighed. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen the city. And as far as I know, the only humans around this place were the Waynes. And now, just you. Oh, and your butler.”

“Mhm,” Bruce hummed. He was  not sure what the significance of Wayne Manor was to the fairies yet, but he did not want to reveal anything until he found out.

“Also, the Seelie Court resides here in the forest.”

“Seelie Court?” Bruce asked. “I remember reading it’s like the government of your society, right?”

“Well, the Seelie Court ruled during the springtime and the summer time. Then, when autumn and winter came along, the Unseelie Court would take over. They used to be the same… fair and just in their ruling, despite the seasons. But then the Unseelie slowly became corrupt, so the Seelie Court took over completely, year-round.”

“What happened to the Unseelie Court?” Bruce asked.

Clark shrugged. “They’re in hiding somewhere. They have fae spies all around the world, so we don’t know who they are.” He hesitated. “But I think they’re starting to gain power again.”

“Why do you think that?” Bruce asked.

Clark picked at the second cookie, not eating it. “There’s already been one unexplained disappearance. I overheard some of the Court members talking about it, and they didn’t want to alert the rest of the fae population in the forest. The Queen has also been growing increasingly worried, it seems. She tries to hide it, but she does not know what to do either.”

“I’m sorry about that,” Bruce said softly, reaching out and scooping Clark into his palm.

Clark shrugged. “Well, we just need to let the Court deal with it. We must trust they know what to do.” He sighed heavily. “I wish the fairies still had a Protector to help them, but… since the last Protector passed away, we’ve been alone to fend for ourselves. I try my best to help out… but I’m only one tiny fairy. There’s not much I can do to help.”

Bruce reached over with his other hand and brushed some of Clark’s hair out of his face with his thumb. “I think you do a lot for your fellow fairies already,” Bruce said.

Clark smiled and closed his eyes. He lay down in Bruce’s palm, curling around his pointer finger. “I think I’m going to take a nap now,” Clark murmured.

Bruce laughed quietly. “Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've already updated my two other stories today, so I'm repeating this for the third time now.
> 
> I'm sorry about the inconsistency recently, but I think I can get back to regularly updating again. Thank you for being patient with me.


	6. The Anthropophagus

It had been a week since Bruce last saw Clark, so one night, he finished patrol an hour earlier and headed into the dark woods behind the Manor.

He made his way to the lake, keeping his eyes peeled for more fairies. A couple times, Bruce thought he saw a shifting in the trees out of the corner of his eye, but there was nothing there when he turned to look.

He approached the lakeside, looking out at the dark mirror of water. It was oddly silent, not even wind rustled the trees.

Then, Bruce heard it. A soft, blubbering sob of a now familiar voice.

It was muffled by the water, but it did not sound as if it were too far away, so Bruce approached the edge of the lake. He knelt slowly and scanned the water nearby.

He spotted the dull blue light that only flashed into view momentarily, and was otherwise covered by the reflection of the moonlight on the still water surface.

“Clark!” Bruce whispered.

The soft crying stopped. A second later, the blue light burst from the water and launched itself at Bruce.

“Bruce!” Clark cried, throwing himself at Bruce. He flew _splat_ into Bruce’s chest, and Bruce caught him before he could slide out of the air. Clark’s entire body was shaking with sobs. “She- She’s _gone_!”

“Who, Clark?” Bruce asked urgently. “Who’s gone?”

Clark curled up in a ball, hugging his knees to his chest. “L-Lois! I saw- I saw here yest-yesterday, but her s-sisters said she hasn’t c-come back since last-last night! You- You have to help me!”

“Okay, hey, calm down, Clark. Who is Lois? Is she your friend?”

Clark nodded, more tears welling up in his eyes as he did so.

“Okay, walk me through what you know, and how I can help.”

Clark took a shaky breath to calm himself. “L-Last night, after I f-finished patrol, I talked with Lo f-for a couple hours b-before the sun rose. She- She said she’d see me tomorrow, like us-usual, so I didn’t think- think too much of it. But th-then tonight, she isn’t h-here on time, so I go to l-look for her. Her sisters tell me that sh-she didn’t even come home! Th-They had already gone to the C-Court, but the Court cl-claims they’re already looking f-for her.” He started sniffling harder, shuddering with every other word.

“And has she ever disappeared like this before?”

Clark shook his head. “L-Lo is an As-Asrais. She c-can’t touch sunlight at all-all. She’s always r-really careful about th-that, so I don’t think sh-she made that mistake.” He let out a quiet sob again.

“So what do you think it is?” Bruce asked, having a feeling that there was something Clark was keeping from him.

Clark’s voice turned lower. “There- There have been more disappearances lately. S-So far, six- six fae have gone missing, n-not including Lois.” His voice started cracking again. “Ev-Even worse, the first t-two have turned up dead!”

“So someone’s kidnapping fairies,” Bruce said. “And you think Lois was kidnapped?”

Clark nodded frantically.

“And the Court? They’re not doing anything about these disappearances?”

“They say that they are, but I haven’t s-seen any progress. S-Some fae are getting antsy. There have b-been rumors of an Unseelie sp-spy among us, so every-everyone is wary of each other. They originally thought it- it was Lex, but- but Lex disappeared three days ago.”

Bruce nodded slowly. “Okay. And what can I do?”

Clark sniffled loudly. “You can see fairies, can’t you? You seem to be an exce-exception to all these fairy rules, so you _must_ be immune in some way!”

Bruce pulled a face. “I don’t know if I can see other fae, or if it’s just you, Clark. I haven’t seen any other fairies yet.”

“You haven’t been looking!” Clark insisted. “Most fairies have natural camouflage to blend into the forest even without being invisible. And it’s dark out, so you might have missed them.”

Bruce looked around dubiously. “Okay then. So what do you want to do to start?”

Clark uncurled himself and stood up determinedly now. “We start by finding where the kidnapped fae could be kept. But I need to hide you first. You’re pretty big, and I can’t be seen with you.” He pressed his small hand to Bruce’s chest and a warm feeling spread from that point out. Then, Clark pulled his hand away. “There.”

“What did you do?” Bruce asked curiously.

“Simple invisibility spell,” Clark said. “Hides you from other fae, but not me. Now, c’mon. I’ll tell you about the murders on the way.”

~

“So the reason so many of the fae folk believed it was Lex that did it was because the news of the murders had gotten out somehow. Only one body was found, though two are dead. The Queen felt the fairies’ life force drain away, and the body that was found, it looked like the work of Anthropophagi.”

“And that is?”

“Anthropophagi are cannibal fairies, essentially. They… They eat people and they eat fae. They kind of look like humans, but smaller, and they don’t have heads. Instead, their faces are in their chest area, and so is their mouth. So as you can imagine, eating is a pretty messy affair for them.”

Bruce grimaced. “If Anthropophagi look like humans, but a bit smaller, shouldn’t it be easy to find them?”

Clark weaved through the dark trees. They were going deeper into the forest, and Bruce was trying his best to keep up. “Yes, they are, but Anthropophagi support the corrupt Unseelie Court. They’re… They have the protection of the Court – dark magic – so the Seelie Court’s powers don’t really apply to them. They’re harder to find and reveal. The Anthropophagus spy could have a strong glamour on them, so they could have been anyone.”

“Even you?” Clark slowed, turning to glance at Bruce. Bruce smiled. “I’m kidding.”

Clark just slowly turned back, resuming his flying without a word.

Bruce’s eyebrows furrowed. “Okay, so they suspected this fairy Lex because…?”

“He is an Anthropophagus. He was thrown out and exiled by the rest of his kind and our Queen took pity on him.”

“So he was the most likely candidate. He could have been framed, however.”

Clark nodded. “That is what I suspect. I do not like Lex, but he seems harmless enough. He is also under the Queen’s protection. If she trusts him, I do too.”

“And you mentioned dead bodies? Where was the first found?” Bruce asked.

“We’re nearly there.” Another couple minutes of zipping between trees, and Clark stopped. “It was here.”

Bruce frowned down at the muddy ground. It was wet and gave a little under his feet. His dress shoes, muddy and scratched by the forest floor, were sucked into the ground a bit.

“Hm, are you sure?”

Clark nodded. “I’m a part of the protection force. It is my job to know.”

Bruce looked around again. “And you know this forest pretty well?”

Clark nodded again. “Like my own home.”

“Is there, by any chance, some sort of swamp around here?”

Clark’s eyebrows furrowed. “Not _here_ , but in the fairy world, which is a parallel of this one, there is a marsh right about here.”

“And you say the body was found in this world?”

“Yes…”

“I think you’ll find you friend in the fairy world, right around here. I believe the spy originally hid in this world, since there were less fairies here, but after messing up once, he moved. And swamps, they have a general feeling of decay, so it would be quite easy to hide a rotting, dead body, especially that of a small fairy.”

Clark grimaced. Then, he turned to face Bruce. “Then I must go to the fairy world to confront this Anthropophagus. Will you come with me?”

“Uh, wait, but aren’t humans not allowed? And shouldn’t you notify the Court first? Just in case it’s dangerous?”

Clark shook his head. “You don’t understand. Lois could be in great danger. She can’t touch sunlight, not even a little! I have to go _now_. If you don’t come with me, I will go alone, but I must go!”

Bruce bit his lower lip and looked at Clark hard. He saw the determined spark in his eyes. Bruce let out his breath. “Okay, fine, I’ll go with you.” He could not let himself let Clark go alone. It would certainly keep him up all night long, anxiously wanting to know if Clark was okay.

Clark smiled weakly. “Okay. Thank you, Bruce.” He zoomed forward and tried his best to wrap his arms around Bruce’s neck. “You’re the kindest person I’ve ever known, human or fae. You’re my best friend, Bruce.”

“You’re one of the most amazing beings I’ve ever met too, Clark,” Bruce admitted softly.

Clark pulled back and smiled. “Okay, hold up your hand.”

Bruce held up his hand, and Clark brought his up and touched it to Bruce’s. Immediately, a bright blue flash of light exploded around them, and they flashed out of sight.

Suddenly, Bruce finds himself standing knee-deep in murky, cold water. Clark floated in the air in front of him, turned away and looking over at the foggy marsh.

“Do you… sense anything?” Bruce asked.

Clark shook his head. “No, I can’t- I can’t sense anything.”

Bruce pressed his lips together. “Are you sure? Because I think _I_ see something.”

“You do?”

“Yeah, there’s this… weird fog over there. But it doesn’t look like fog. It’s moving and swirling around like someone’s stirring it.”

Clark sucked in a sharp breath. “Can you- Can you describe it more?”

“Well, it’s this dark grey color, but it could be because it’s dark out. Again, it’s swirling, even though there’s no wind, and it’s about… thirty feet in front of us and as far out as I can see from there.”

“That’s a shield of dark magic,” Clark whispered. “You can see that?”

“I guess…?”

“That’s amazing, Bruce! The Anthropophagus must be hiding there! Let’s go!” Clark zoomed off into the mist right after that statement.

Bruce wanted to call after him, but he did not know if it would be such a good idea. Instead, he just cursed silently and started trudging through the muddy water, and followed Clark into the fog.

When Bruce walked into the curtain of fog, it completely blinded him for a moment. Then, everything was suddenly clear. Bruce whipped around, and he saw no fog, just the marsh in all directions.

He turned back around and gasped.

Clark hovered about ten feet away, completely still, a dazed expression on his face. He looked limp and lifeless, but his eyes were open wide and his mouth drooping open a bit. His eyes were glowing with a white light. Standing in front of him was a grotesque, humanoid creature. It had knobby elbows and knees, arms and legs that were too long and skinny, a horribly hunched back, and hairy, brown skin. It danced around under where Clark floated, making loud screechy noises that sounded vaguely happy.

When it circled around, Bruce got a clear view of its face. It had no head, but two beady, black eyes next to its nipples, a huge, flaring nose under the ribcage area, and a giant, gaping mouth filled with rows and rows of sharp teeth, coated in saliva.

The weird, gasping-screeching sounds came from its mouth as it danced around Clark.

Bruce froze at first, fearing the Anthropophagus had seen him, but it seemed that Clark’s spell was holding up fine. But then, the Anthropophagus reached up and plucked Clark from the air. It shook the limp fairy a couple times, made a few more happy screeches, and tilted its torso back and opened its mouth wide.

“No!” Bruce yelled out. He immediately ran forward, tackling the Anthropophagus into the water out of force of habit.

The surprised Anthropophagus screeched in alarm as it went under water, still sputtering. Clark went flying through the air and also landed into the water a few feet away.

Bruce wrestled with the Anthropophagus, grabbing its skinny arms and trying to keep it pinned. But the fairy was strong. It struggled hard against Bruce, and for a while, Bruce could keep it down, but then, the Anthropophagus overwhelmed him and threw him off.

It scrambled to its feet, hissing angrily, looking at Bruce. A cold feeling ran over him, chilling him to the bones. Bruce knew that Clark’s spell was gone.

The Anthropophagus screeched again and threw itself at Bruce.

Then, out of nowhere, it was knocked back by a strong jet of water. Bruce whipped his head in the direction of the water jet, and saw Clark flying again, his face contorted with concentration, glowing a healthy, bright blue. Bruce let a relieved smile grace his cold face.

“Clark!” he called. “You’re okay?”

Clark let go of the water and grinned back at Bruce. “Yeah! You? He didn’t get you, did he? Watch out for those teeth. They’re poisonous, and they can paralyze its prey.” The Anthropophagus clambered to its feet unsteadily, wiping mud and water from its eyes.

Clark pointed his hands up towards the sky and a series of red sparks shot upwards. They exploded like red fireworks, and a loud ringing of bells filled the air.

The Anthropophagus looked up and hissed. Then, it launched itself at Bruce again, this time, tackling him into the water. Bruce saw Clark’s head whip in his direction and his eyes widening as he went down and under.

Dirty, cold water surrounded Bruce suddenly, shocking him. He could not see a thing, nor could he hear anything. It was like the swamp water completely muffled all sound. Just silence.

Still, Bruce could feel the Anthropophagus’ clawed fingers digging into his wrists, and its bony knees poking into his sides.

He forced himself up and took a huge gasp of air. At the same time, the Anthropophagus bit down on his arm. There was no pain, funnily enough. Just a quick sting, then nothing.

Half a second later, the Anthropophagus was blasted away again by Clark’s pulse of swamp water.

Another second later, Clark was at his side. But Bruce was already losing feeling in his arm, and it was spreading very fast.

“NO!” Clark gasped. He grabbed Bruce’s arm, which floated uselessly in the water. “No, no, no, no!” His eyes darted up to Bruce’s. “Hey, stay awake, you gotta stay awake, Bruce! The Court’ll be here in a couple minutes, just stay awake until then!”

Bruce tried. His lips would not move to form words, and he could not feel his entire upper half of his body, and he was quickly losing sense of his bottom half as well.

His eyes slid closed. So this was how he was going to die.

“Bruce! Bruce!” Clark called over and over again. There was no response. Bruce just lay in the water for a moment, unmoving, and then he started to sink. Quickly, Clark used some of his powers to keep him floating on the surface. He cursed silently.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, Clark saw that the Anthropophagus started towards them again, moving in for the kill.

Something snapped inside Clark. An unexplainable rage filled him, glowing bright and hot. His entire vision filled with a blinding light. Clark heard an echoing screaming sound, like someone’s soul being forcefully ripped from their body.

It took him a moment to realize that _it was him_. In the background of the screaming, however, there was also labored screeching noises that were suddenly cut off. Then, the light disappeared and Clark took a gasping deep breath.

He wobbled in the air for a couple seconds, his ears ringing and weird, colorful spots filling his vision.

“B- Br…” he tried to call, but had no energy to speak. He dropped out of the air and landed on Bruce’s wet chest with a soft _splat._

He felt dead tired, but even then, when he could barely keep his eyes open any longer, Clark could feel that Bruce’s life force was slowly ebbing away.

So Clark took a shaky breath and gritted his teeth, pushing himself up into a sitting position. He slowly dragged himself up to Bruce’s neck and stood on shaky legs. He pressed his hands to Bruce’s lips. He felt the gentle, almost nonexistent pulses of air, growing weaker and weaker.

Clark let his head drop onto Bruce’s chin with a soft sob, his eyes closing automatically with fatigue. Bruce was dying. He was going to die because he helped Clark. Because he trusted Clark. Because even though he was a human, in an unfamiliar world, without any powers to fight against fairy magic. He had to pay for it.

Clark forced his eyes open slowly. He started to sing. The words were barely intelligible, the melody barely on key.

Clark felt for his reservoirs of magic, only to find them drained. But still, he searched, looking for every last bit he could summon and gathered it all up. He focused it to his hands, pouring through his fingertips into Bruce’s body.

Clark watched with diminishing vision as the wounds, black with venom started to close, though the blackness did not disappear.

Clark could feel his own consciousness fading. He struggled to stay awake. His weak stream of magic faltered and stopped. There was nothing more that he could give. Clark wanted to yell in frustration. The wounds had not closed fully. The venom was still in Bruce’s blood.

He could not save him.

Clark’s vision darkened, and he slumped down, a hundred percent drained of any magic at all.

 _I could not save him_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I'm really sorry about this. 
> 
> This story is kind of all over the place, and a bit of a mess. I think it's because there was a long stretch of time between the writing of each chapter, so I was a little bit unsure about the flow of this story. The past few chapters literally had nothing to do with the actual plot of this story, and now at chapter six, everything is suddenly happening at a whirlwind speed and it's a bit crazy. So I apologize for that. 
> 
> Thankfully, there are only nine chapters total. I promise, sometime soon after I finish this entire story, I will go back and proofread, rewrite, edit, and improve this so it flows better. I'm sorry the first time through was a bit rough, I hope you can forgive me for that!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! Leave me a comment, as I have piano auditions tomorrow and only had one day to prepare! <3


	7. Trial and Error

Clark woke up with a start, gasping and sweating profusely. He looked around with wild eyes. He was in a white room, lying on a small cot, on a long table. Several other small cots filled the table. The rest of the room was taken up by two larger cots. There was a small square window on one side, and bright sunlight streamed in front there. A large pot of flowering vines sat on the table by the cot. The vines twisted and waved in the air, and a pinkish glow surrounded them.

_Bruce. Where is Bruce?_

Clark sat up, starting to panic. He was in an infirmary. But where was Bruce? He slid off the cot and onto the pressed dirty floor. His knees quivered under him. He felt weak and sore. Clark reached for his magic, relieved to find the fluttery buzz of it flowing beneath his skin. There was not much, but it was enough.

Clark floated up into the air unsteadily. He had to go find Bruce. He started zooming towards the door.

Suddenly, a hand wrapped around his body as he tried to fly off.

“Hey!”

Clark struggled against the hand, pushing with all his might. He tried pushing some magic into it, but even then, he could not break the hold. The hand started pulling him in.

“Hey! Stop! You’re still healing! You just got a bit of magic back. Hey!”

Clark gave up, slumping. He was already tired and breathing irregularly. He had never felt so tired before. He was turned around onto his back. Clark found himself looking up at a bug-eyed brownie. Her large kaleidoscope eyes blinked down at him.

“Hi!” she said cheerily. “You’re finally awake! And just in time as well. Today was supposed to be your trial date, but if you didn’t wake up in time, it would have been pushed back.”

“Trial?” Clark croaked.

“Yeah! For bringing a human to the fairy world, for associating with said human, for trespassing on the grounds of Wayne Manor, and for killing a fairy!”

“Wh-What?!” Clark exclaimed. “I didn’t- How’d you- What?!”

The brownie smiled. “Oh, everyone knows! It’s been the hottest gossip as of recently. I told all my friends that I was taking care of you. They all think you’re absolutely crazy, but at the same time, you’re a hero! You found all the missing fairies, and practically saved them!”

So Lois was safe. She was alive. But Bruce? Clark’s heart did not calm down. He was not worried about his crimes at the moment. “And- And Bruce? The human? Is he-”

“Oh, he’s fine,” the brownie said with a small frown. Clark relaxed a bit. “I think, at least. I wasn’t allowed to see him, obviously. My superiors were the ones in charge of his recovery. I don’t know all that much about human physiology. But I do know he woke up yesterday. And his trial is… in half an hour!”

“Half an hour…” Clark whispered. Bruce was facing a trial. His heart rate picked up again. The Court might know a lot, but they do not know the whole story. What if they wrongly condemn Bruce? Clark had to find him.

With that, he summoned a bit of magic and pushed himself from the brownie’s hand. She was surprised by the bright flash of blue light, and was distracted for time’s being.

Clark shot from the room. He zoomed down the halls, surprising several other healers. Clark recognized the infirmary. It was the largest one in the fairy world, at the capital. And it was close to the Superior Court.

Clark flew out of the infirmary. He could feel his magic dissipating quickly. Still, he pushed on. He arrived at the front of the courthouse only to see that the entire lawn was covered with fae. They were all trying to crowd into the courthouse, no doubt to see the trial.

The air was also filled with aerial fairies of all kinds. Clark gritted his teeth and pushed through them. He zipped around the protectors that were holding back the rest of the crowd, thanks to his small size.

But he was spotted.

“Hey, you!” one of the protectors shouted. “You can’t go in there!” The protector, a fat elf, lumbered after Clark, but Clark was way faster.

He easily found the Grand Courtroom. The doors were closed, and two tall gnomes stood before it.

Clark sped to a halt. “I need to go in there!” he announced.

One of the gnomes gave him half a glance and grunted, ignoring Clark.

“I said, I need to go in there! They’ve got the wrong idea! I have to- Hey! Are you listening to me?” he shouted.

The gnomes ignored him once more.

Clark, growing angry, gritted his teeth and yelled, “My name is Kal-El, the last of the Gwragedd Annwn. Now let me in there to see the Court!”

The gnomes jolted at his name. They glanced at each other, then back at Clark. One of the gnomes nodded his head. He knocked on the Courtroom door three times before opening it.

The previously chattering court went silent. All the fae turned towards the door.

“My Queen,” one of the gnomes said, bowing his head. “The fairy Kal-El has arrived, requesting an audience.”

The Queen, dressed in a light green, folded her hands in front of her. “Oh, he is awake? Very well, let him in. We shall have his trial first, I suppose.”

Clark flew into the room, slower than before. He felt the eyes of all the fae in the room staring at him as he went. Some were filled with anger, others with admiration.

Lois sat in the second row. She looked fine, a bit pale and bruised, but she was safe. She gave him a sad look, then turned away.

Clark came to a stop in the center of the courtroom. The doors closed loudly, and the entire room was pitched into silence.

“Well,” the Queen said. “As you all know, I see no reason for this to be so formal. We shall hear his side of the story, and my friends and I will discuss. Should we come to a disagreement, we will hold a more formal discussion with the jury.”

She smiled down at Clark. “Please state your name and your race.”

Clark swallowed hard. “My name is Kal-El. I am of the Gwragedd Annwn. And I came here today to tell you that Bruce- the human, is not dangerous. So please don’t turn him into a rabbit or a squirrel.”

The Queen smiled. “I see. We have not had the trial of the human yet,” she said. “But Kal, I know you to be a trustworthy fairy. However, I will listen to his statement and make that judgement myself. But do you not wish to defend yourself?”

“I confess to it all.”

A loud gasping and murmuring filled the court. Even the Queen sat up a bit straighter.

“You do now? You admit to it all?”

Clark nodded. “I do. I brought Bruce into the fairy world because I needed his help to find the missing fairies. He can see past fairy magic, so I thought he would be helpful. I also confess to befriending him. I will not go back on that. He is my friend, and he helped me, so I will not repay him by stabbing him in the back like this. Bruce resides at Wayne Manor, so he is the one who took me there, but he did not know about our laws. I went with him of my own free will. But as for the killing a fairy part… I don’t think I did that.”

The Queen laughed lightly. “Yes, that is an interesting thing, isn’t it? While you were unconscious, I tapped into your memories to see the truth, so during the trial, I would also know if you were lying or not. And you are not. But you also do not seem to know what happened out in the marsh, do you?”

Clark furrowed his eyebrows, then shook his head.

“You see, Kal,” the Queen started. “After the human got bit and was dying, what do you remember?”

“…I shot the Anthropophagus back with a jet of water. Then I went to check on Bruce.”

“Yes, but after that?”

“The… Anthropophagus came at us again… and I got angry. There was a white light, and I couldn’t see anything. It felt like I was being burned from the inside out.”

The Queen clapped, smiling even wider. She looked like a giddy child. “Yes. And do you realize what that was?”

Clark shook his head slowly.

“Kal, all fairies have one thing in common. They all have one very special power. Even the gnomes and brownies and trolls, who seem to have no power besides strength and their natural talents. This power is not something that can be used on command. This power take shape in the form of a bright burst of pure magic. It can only be activated when the other half of a fae’s soul is being truly threatened. This pure magic will destroy the threat, no matter what it is,” the Queen explained.

Clark blinked a couple times. “The other half… of my soul?”

The Queen nodded. “Yes, your soul mate. It is very odd for a fairy’s soul mate to be a human, since humans have complete souls on their own, but it seems that the human is your soul mate, Kal.”

“So… when Bruce got hurt and he was dying…”

“Yes, your power activated, and it killed the Anthropophagus.” The Queen sighed. “Murder is punishable by death, Kal,” she said sternly. “However, in your situation, you had no control over it, so you are pardoned from that. But, your other crimes cannot go unpunished. I think the Court can agree with me on that.”

The other Court members nodded solemnly.

The Queen smiled. “Very well. Kal, you _are_ a hero, so it will definitely weigh into the severity of your punishment. Now, please excuse us for a couple minutes while we discuss.”

She stood, as did the rest of the Court members. They left the room, and suddenly, the court was buzzing with chatter. Clark sat there, stunned, but ready to accept whatever the Court decides.

Five minutes later, the Queen returned with the rest of the Seelie Court.

An announcer came out as well with a scroll in his hand. He cleared his throat and started speaking.

“Kal-El, of the Gwragedd Annwn, for your crimes of speaking to a human, entering onto the forbidden lands of the Wayne Estates, for revealing fairy secrets to a human, for leading a human onto fae land, and for the near murder of a human being, the Court will be stripping you of your powers and turning you into a human. You are exiled from the fairy world for life. Effective immediately.”

The minute the announcer said the last words, Clark felt his magic draining away. The normally warm buzz that surrounded him disappeared, and he dropped to the ground. The soft blue glow that usually surrounded him also vanished.

He started growing. It was painful, but not unbearable. Clark gritted his teeth as his body warped and expanded. A minute later, it stopped and the pain ebbed away.

Panting, Clark pushed himself up. He opened his eyes, and everything was suddenly a lot smaller.

He looked down at himself. He looked relatively the same, but just… much larger. Before, Clark had to hover really far off the ground in order to be at the same height as the Court. Now, he just had to stand.

The Queen opened her mouth to say something. But a knocking on the door stopped. The door opened, and Clark, along with everyone else, turned.

One of the gnomes bowed again. “My Queen, the human has arrived.”

The Queen’s wings fluttered gently as she sat up a bit straighter. “Well, send him in. Kal, you may stay and watch, if you would like.”

Two elves came up and escorted Clark to the side, since he still did not really know how to use his human limbs yet.

But Clark was not worried about that. He watched as Bruce was brought in, four protectors in front, four behind. His arms were tied up behind him, and a blindfold was put over his eyes. Once he was standing in front of the Court, they were removed.

Bruce blinked, adjusting to the lighting in the room. Clark noticed how his eyes scanned the room quickly, darting from place to place. He had never noticed that before.

“Hello, human,” the Queen said. Clark realized that she sounded different. It took him a moment, but he realized that she was speaking English, the human language, not the common fairy language.

Bruce seemed to notice the slight shift of languages as well. “Hello,” he said slowly. His eyes traveled to Clark’s side of the room, and they widened ever so slightly when they landed on him.

“Please state your full name to the Court, human,” the Queen said. Her smile was still gentle and kind, like it always is.

Bruce let his eyes linger on Clark for another moment before snapping back to the Queen. “My name is Bruce Wayne.”

A loud, collective gasp from the fairy audience. Even the Queen, who had snow white skin, seemed to pale more.

“Pardon?” the Queen asked, her face serious now.

Bruce repeated himself. “My name is Bruce Wayne. I reside and rightfully own Wayne Manor. I do not know what laws you fae folk have with the Manor, but it belongs to me, not you.”

“He’s lying!” a fairy shouted from the audience.

“There is no way he is a Wayne! The line died twenty-five years ago!”

“He is trying to trick us!”

“Filthy human!”

The Queen held up a hand and the court went silent once more. “Please, my friends,” she said, slipping back into common fairy language. “Let us not judge so quickly. I do not sense the human is lying.” Clark looked up, bewildered. He suddenly could not understand what the Queen was saying.

“I am not lying,” Bruce said. Clark could not understand him either. He must have slipped back into the common fairy language. Despair rolled over him. He truly was human now.

The Queen smiled, looking only mildly surprised. “So you can understand our language,” she mused. “I do not recall Thomas and Martha having a living son. From what I know, their son died at the early age of eight along with them.”

Bruce’s expression became hard. “I did not die along with them. Not physically, at least. But I have not been at the Manor much after my parents’ death.”

“Bruce,” the Queen said softly. “I do not doubt you, but I know many of my fellow fae folk do. If I may, can I prove it to them that you are truly the only son of the Wayne lineage?”

Bruce eyed her a moment. Then he nodded slowly. “But if you don’t mind telling me, what is so significant about my family and my home?”

The Queen flew down daintily from her seat and hovered in front of Bruce. “You, Bruce, are the true protector of us fae folk living in this forest. The blood that runs through your veins, it marks you as _the_ Protector of our people.” She gently put her pale hand on his forehead. She closed her eyes and suddenly, Bruce was bathed in a soft yellow light. The audience of fae started murmuring again. Then, they started clapping and cheering. Some started weeping.

Clark watched the entire thing, unable to believe his eyes. Was Bruce really the Wayne heir? In which case, Bruce was the long awaited Protector of the fairies.

The Queen withdrew her hand, but the glow stayed. She smiled at Bruce then turned to face Clark. She switched back to English. “Kal, my dear friend, this explains why he is your soul mate. The Waynes were a powerful family to begin with. But long, long ago, when the fae still practiced the art of changelings, the fairy princess was switched accidentally for another prestigious family. She grew up and married the Wayne heir and had a child. The princess returned to the fairy world soon after, but her son grew up to become the first Protector of our kind. So your human has fairy blood in him, though greatly diluted, it is still the blood of a princess, so it is very powerful.”

Clark felt lightheaded. He nodded once, then slumped over and promptly fainted.

Bruce rushed over to him without a second thought.

“Oh, shit,” he cursed. “Someone please help him?”

Almost immediately, a fairy walked out of the crowd and approached them, bowing deeply to the Queen first. “If I may, my Queen?” she asked softly.

The Queen nodded. The fairy hurried over, kneeling down besides Bruce. Bruce shuffled out of the way. The fairy gave him a shy smile and put her hands on Clark’s forehead and chest. A few seconds later, Clark sat up with a gasp.

The fairy, looking much more tired than before, stood. She gave Bruce a quick curtsy before scurrying off into the crowd again. Bruce stared after her in wonder.

“What was that?” he murmured.

Clark groaned weakly. “That was your influence among the fae folk,” he answered. He threw Bruce a smile. “Hey.”

Bruce turned back to him, frowned at him a second before roughly pulling him into a hug. “Idiot,” he grumbled in his ear. “Stupid Clark. Look where it landed you.”

“In your arms,” Clark teased.

Bruce pulled back and gave him another glare. “We’re going have a chat later. You’re going to explain this whole mess to me. From your sudden growth spurt, to the whole soul mate thing, and the Protector thing.”

Clark laughed. “Of course.”

“Interesting,” the Queen interrupted.

Bruce turned to face her again, still not letting go of Clark. “Sorry?”

She just smiled a strange little smile. She looked happy, however. “Nothing. I just… realized something. You know, Kal, now that I have heard the other side of the story, I think I will amend your punishment. After all, you found us our Protector again.”

“Oh, uh,” Clark said, a bit surprised. He had already been planning on staying human and possibly living with Bruce. He would miss the fairy world, but he would be satisfied with Bruce there.

The Queen laughed, as if reading his thoughts. “No worries, Kal. You may visit your soul mate as often as you wish. But I retract your exile, and I grant you your powers back, since your crimes benefited our society more than you harmed it.”

Bruce’s face burst out into a smile. “That’s great!” He exclaimed, gripping Clark’s shoulders even harder.

As he did this, Clark felt the familiar tingling build under his skin once more. Everything grew huge, and he was suddenly standing on the ground, peering straight up at Bruce, who was huge once more.

The Queen turned towards the rest of the court. “My friends,” she called. “Today, you have witnessed an amazing phenomenon that may never happen again. Today is a day that will be forever marked in our history. And you have all bore witness to that.”

A loud cheer rose up in the crowd, and Clark flew up in the air, and he could not help but watch and smile because all was good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nearly done with this story! It is only 9 chapters, but it took quite a while to write and publish, I'm so sorry about that! But updates every two days again from now on!
> 
> I'm keeping this note short today since I'm dead tired. Thanks for reading, hope you guys enjoyed, good luck for those who have started school, and leave me a comment! <3


	8. The Protector of the Fairies

It was three days later that Bruce was properly crowned the Protector of the fae.

It was a sacred ceremony that was long overdue. An age old contract was dug up. The paper was thin, yellowing, and old, but it would never wear out because it was protected by strong fairy magic.

The contract was filled with over a hundred signatures. Some signatures were that of the same king or queen that ruled over the fairy world while several generations of Waynes passed through the position of Protector.

The most recent one was that of Thomas Wayne. Bruce’s hand quivered ever so slightly when he saw his father’s signature.

The contract stated that the fae will protect Bruce’s family, whoever that may consist of, to the best of their ability and watch over the estates in his absence, whether it be for a short while, or an extended period of time. In return, Bruce’s presence itself would strengthen the surrounding forests and its inhabitants. Wayne Manor was the center of all fae magic, and through Bruce, the fairies could once again tap into it.

In other words, the fairy world would flourish once more. The boundaries can be strengthened and the Unseelie Court would have a harder time getting in again.

Bruce’s initiation was a small and quiet affair, in a sacred place in the hollow of the oldest tree in the forest.

It was a twisted, gnarled thing, and it did not look very inviting. But the Queen pressed her hand against its rough, cracking bark, and the tree shivered. Then, from the ground, a huge gaping hole opened up, splitting the tree trunk in half.

It opened up into a circular room that could comfortably fit around five people.

Bruce seemed a bit apprehensive about the entire thing, even after Clark explained it to him several times. He had been carefully washed and dressed by a few fairies earlier, and Clark had been unhappy to see Bruce being led into another room by three giggling females only to come out half an hour later smelling like flowers and dressed only in shorts. He also had a beautiful necklace made of bluebells around his neck, and Clark _knew_ that one of the fairies tended to flowers.

Now, as they sat in a circle in the hollow of the tree, Clark perched on Bruce’s shoulder, leaning against his neck. Clark felt the humanly warmth and the faint scent of flowers. It was only slightly annoying, but it did not bother Clark that much anymore.

In the past three days, they had discussed the entire soul mate thing. There were fumbling words and a very awkward confession, but it ended up well.

The Queen sat across from Bruce, in her human form. She still looked as ethereal as before, but without the wings. The rest of the Court remained in their smaller fairy sizes. The Queen reached out and touched Bruce’s forehead, murmuring under the breathe the entire time. Then, she touched each one of Bruce’s eyelids, and finally, his lips.

Clark watched with amazement as dark swirls started appearing on Bruce’s skin. Black, thick, and not unlike snakes, winding up and down his body. Bruce did not seem to notice them. He recognized them as the tattoos of binding.

The Queen withdrew her hand. “Bruce Wayne, I entrust you with the safety of our world and our people. Do you swear to protect us to the best of your ability?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Then we shall return the favor as well. Bruce Wayne, you are now the 50th Protector of the fae folk, from now and forevermore.”

The tattoos glowed bright blue, in which the Queen gave Clark a sharp glance. Clark quickly sat up and hovered away from Bruce. The tattoos’ glow faded to a white light before disappearing. The tattoos also left no visible mark on Bruce’s skin, though they were still there, invisible.

Bruce opened his eyes. He looked down at his arms. “What was that?” he asked.

The Queen smiled softly. “They were the marks that bind you to our world. They give us access to the magic trapped in the Manor through you, and they allow you to tap into our powers should you ever need it.”

“I have fairy powers now?” Bruce asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

“Only should you need it,” the Queen said. “More likely, you will be able to tap into Kal’s power at will, since you are soul mates. But the fae magic as a whole, only in dire situations.” The Queen stood, and so did everyone else. “Bruce, I thank you. You have saved our world in ways you may never know,” she said. Then, she turned to Clark. “Kal, thank you as well.” She gently booped his nose with her finger. Clark felt a weird warmth shift through him. The warmth disappeared quickly though.

“Well,” the Queen said. “I’m sure you two have things to get to,” she said. “I shan’t keep you any longer.”

Clark blushed, and Bruce laughed. He held his hand out. Clark landed in it, and Bruce placed him onto his shoulder again. Clark grabbed hold of Bruce’s hair, burying into it shyly.

As they left, Clark turned back one more time and saw the Queen smiling up at him. She gave him a wink.

~

Clark distinctly remembered falling asleep on Bruce’s chest, feeling quite satisfied with himself.

However, when he woke up, Clark turned over and was met with Bruce’s face. It was the same size as his. Clark let out a loud gasp. He sat up, tangled in the sheets like he never did before. Clark fell out of the bed and landed on the floor with a heavy _thump_.

Bruce made a grumbling sound, turning over. Clark looked around with wide eyes. Had everything been a dream? What was happening? Did Clark dream being turned back into a fairy?

He ran to the bathroom, his footsteps heavy and awkward. It was a lot harder running as a huge human being, with gravity weighing down on you more. But even as a human, Clark seemed to possess his fairy powers, except magnified to fit his form. He ran, too fast to control, into a wall, cracking it and sending chunks crumbling to the floor. Clark stared at the hole in horror. As a fairy, Clark was graceful and quick. But in this form?

He stumbled his way to the bathroom again. He looked at himself in the mirror, which was so many times smaller than before. Clark screamed.

Ten seconds later, a second set of scrambling footsteps came running towards the bathroom, and Bruce appeared in the doorway, disheveled and a panicked look on his face.

“What’s wrong?” he demanded. “Are you hurt?”

“Hurt?!” Clark exclaimed. “I’m- I’m-”

“Oh, that happened overnight,” Bruce said, deflating a bit. “You suddenly turned human-sized on top of me, so I pushed you off.”

“And this doesn’t _concern_ you?” Clark asked.

Bruce shrugged. “I don’t particularly mind.”

“I- I broke your _wall_. I can’t control my powers in this form!” Clark said, almost starting to hyperventilate.

“Hey, hey,” Bruce said, going forward. He put his hands on Clark’s shoulder. “It’s okay. Just calm down a moment, okay?” He cracked a smile. “We’ll go see the Queen about it later, after you’ve calmed yourself, alright? But for now, I can think of some things we can do.”

Clark blinked at him. Then, he slapped Bruce upside the head. “Seriously?!”

Bruce was knocked forward onto his knees. “Ow, fuck!”

Clark gasped, backing up quickly. “Sorry! I- I’m sorry!”

Bruce looked up and frowned at Clark. “Watch that strength of yours! You might look human, but you definitely _aren’t_.” He stood and rolled his neck both ways. “C’mon.” He reached for Clark, but Clark shrank back, scared of hurting Bruce again.

“That didn’t really hurt,” Bruce deadpanned. “I was just surprised.”

“But I could hurt you,” Clark insisted.

Bruce rolled his eyes. “But you won’t. You’ll be careful, right? C’mon, let’s go.” He grabbed Clark’s hand before Clark could protest again. They made their way back to the bed.

A golden leaf lay on the pillow of the bed. Bruce looked at the windows. It was closed tightly and locked.

He picked it up and flipped it over.

Clark peered over his shoulder curiously.

Written in glowing white script on the other side of the leaf were the words,

_Enjoy the gift, Kal,_

_Queen Titiana_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yayyy, last chapter! Just an epilogue left to go!
> 
> Urgh, I have a rule that I have a day's break after finishing a story where I don't post anything, but I finished a story just two days ago, I'm going to finish this one in a couple days, and my third on a day after that. So they're all clumped together, and I wish they weren't. Ah, oh well. 
> 
> Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed! <3


	9. EPILOGUE: By the Lakeside

The “gift” was another power, of sorts. Clark could switch between human and fairy form of his own free will now. He was frustrated by the power at first, since he did not know how to act as a human, nor could he really control his powers in that form. But he grew to love it.

Clark was allowed to move around among humankind completely unnoticed. He was allowed to roam the Manor, greet Alfred, and eat all the cookies he wanted without Bruce having to sneak them for him.

And even cooler, as far as Clark knew, the only other being who had such a power in the fairy world was the Queen herself.

Bruce and Clark were the only ones who lived in the Manor, aside from Alfred. At night, they each had their own duties to attend to. Clark kept his duties as a protector, flying around the forest in rounds, while Bruce did the same thing in his city.

Clark was always a bit worried about Bruce doing such a thing, but after a couple arguments, Clark decided to drop it. Bruce could handle it. He was exceptional as a human, and with the powers of the fae behind him now, he was even more amazing.

Then, Bruce brought back a kid.

Clark was shocked, so to say. He had been a little bit upset as well, seeing that he had been thinking of them as _partners_ since they had not exactly discussed what their relationship was.

The kid’s name was Dick Grayson. His parents died in an accident at a circus, and Bruce took him in. Bruce also refused to discuss it with Clark.

So Clark went back to the forest and lived in his old home in the lake for three months. No matter how much coaxing he heard from Lois, Clark refused to go back. Until Clark got a stern order from the Queen, who told him that the energy from the Manor was feeling unstable, he went back.

Clark found that Bruce was a complete mess in his absence but was too damn stubborn to go find Clark. He made a promise not to disappear like that for long periods of time again.

He also met the kid properly for the first time. And surprisingly, he got along with the child rather well. Clark found out that Bruce wanted to formally adopt Dick, and also to train him as his protégé. Once again, Clark disapproved, worrying for Dick’s safety, but finally relented.

Clark secretly followed them out on patrol for the first few nights, and when he was certain Dick could handle himself, Clark let them do their thing. Clark also suspected that Bruce knew he was following them. It was hard to hide things from Bruce.

But things got better from there. Dick, for some strange reason, came to really love having Clark around. Dick did not know the true nature of Clark and Bruce’s relationship, and maybe he had suspicions, but no one ever really told him. At best, Clark was one of Bruce’s oldest and best friends.

And when Clark is in his fairy form, Dick cannot see him, so it was another way for Clark to sneak time with Bruce without revealing everything to Dick. Bruce was not completely ready for that yet, and Clark was okay with it.

Two years after that, Bruce brings back another boy. Jason had a similar background. Lost both parents at a young age, but he grew up in the streets of Gotham, already knowing how to fend for himself.

Dick had gone off to do his own thing, build his own legacy then, but he still stopped by to visit and help Bruce out often.

He also learned about their relationship and Clark being a fairy. Thankfully, Dick thought it was the coolest thing ever. But then, Jason died.

Bruce was devastated. He closed himself off from everyone: Dick, Alfred, Clark.

He was colder and more detached. Clark tried everything to get through to him, but Bruce just seemed distant. So after a while, Clark decided just to give Bruce some space.

He went back to the forest, but he popped in once in a while to check on Bruce, who never seemed to even see Clark anymore.

One day, Bruce started working on something in his Cave. He was thrown into a crazy, almost delusional state. Clark had to restrain him to keep him from hunting down the Joker and killing him.

After that incident, Bruce closed off again.

Then, one night, Clark heard someone calling his name. He came out of the lake.

Bruce stood on the shore of the lake. Clark immediately went over.

“Bruce? What is it?”

Bruce looked over the moonlit lake, his eyes calculating. “I want to build a house out here,” he said. “It’s completely surrounded by forests here, and I can’t see the city. I think- I think I need a break from my life for a while. It’s still close enough for me to go back, should I need it, but I also feel… more grounded here.”

Bruce turned his eyes to Clark. “Do you think the Queen would let me?”

“Of course!” Clark said. “Technically, this is still your land. It just also belongs to the fairies. I’m sure she will.”

Bruce nodded solemnly. He went quiet again. “Will you come back with me tonight? I don’t- I don’t want to be alone anymore.”

“Yeah, of course I will, Bruce,” Clark said. “Always.”

Bruce had the house constructed. He did it quite quickly too. With the help of the fairies, who manipulated the surrounding trees into walls, a small house was built by the lake. Half of it actually extended out into the lake, supported by beams under the water. A small trapdoor under a rug allowed easy access to the lake from inside the house.

During his year of recovery, Bruce spent a lot of time there. Aside from Alfred visiting occasionally, only ever Clark was there.

Then, Tim showed up.

Tim, bright and intelligent Timothy Drake, who had Dick and Bruce all figured out. He managed to pressure Bruce into making him Robin. Then, Tim moved into the Manor as a permanent resident.

Clark and Tim never really talked much at first. Tim was always busy, and Clark just never hit it off with him. They exchanged a few words of greeting and all that, but nothing more.

Then, Tim cornered Clark when Bruce was out on patrol, and Alfred had already retired.

“What are you?” Tim demanded. “I know you’re not human.”

“What?” Clark stammered. He pushed his fake glasses higher on his nose. “What do you mean, Tim?”

Tim’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not saying you’re dangerous. I know that Bruce trusts you, but I don’t. I don’t know what you are. I’ve tried figuring it out, but I can’t. Are you some alien?”

“What makes you think that?” Clark asked, genuinely surprised Tim noticed something.

Tim rolled his eyes. “Well first, no one can eat that many cookies and still stay in shape. You’re also weirdly fast, no, scratch that, insanely fast. I’ve seen you make the bed. There’s no way someone can do it in under three seconds. You’re also really strong, even though you don’t seem to have much muscles. Finally, you just loiter around the Manor all day, but you don’t seem to live here. I’ve searched you up, you don’t exist in any records. I’ve even scanned your DNA, which looked human… but weirdly so. Not to mention, unless something is wrong with Bruce’s equipment, your body is 95% water.”

Clark opened his mouth a couple times. Then, he sighed. “Okay, fine. I’m _not_ human.” That was how Tim found out.

Soon after that, Jason came back from the dead, angry and vengeful. But Clark managed to get through to him as well. And through Clark, Jason reconnected with everyone else.

When everything seemed to settle down for the first time in five years, Clark found that he was content. He was happy, and Bruce was happy, and _their_ family was happy.

Nearly ten years passed since Clark had met Bruce. Their bond was as strong as ever. Clark and Bruce are both on the Court now, Bruce as an honorary addition, and Clark took over for the alven, who passed away a couple years ago.

Additionally, Clark was immersed into the human society even more, by mistake.

It happened one night, when Bruce was out on a mission the neighboring city of Metropolis. He left something in the Cave and asked Clark to deliver it for him. So Clark, who could not pick up the huge metal device in fairy form, flew over in his human form, but casting an invisibility spell over him and the device.

He arrived just as Bruce was fighting whatever bad guys he had been tracking down. And he witnessed Bruce being pushed off the side of a building. Clark knew that Bruce had a grappling gun, but as he watched the gun jam and refuse to work, Clark forgot everything and dived after him.

Clark let go of the device and the invisibility spell, speeding down and catching Bruce. He was so relieved that he saved him that he did not think about the consequences.

And so, as a result, Metropolis gained a hero, one whom no one knew if he was real or not. Clark tried to stay away from the city, but he unfortunately found himself there time and time again, at first, saving Bruce, then, saving all kinds of people.

Clark grew to like it (despite _Bruce’s_ disapproval, that hypocrite).

And as their tenth anniversary neared, Clark was met with one last challenge.

It arrived one rainy night, in the middle of a thunderstorm. Loud pounding on the door that seemed to echo throughout the entire Manor.

Alfred opened the door to a short figure, concealed by a cloak. The figure stepped into the Manor without a word or invitation from Alfred. Both Clark and Bruce emerged from the library to investigate.

“Excuse me,” Bruce called. “How may we help you?”

The figure lifted his head and removed his hood. A young boy stood there, looking up at Bruce with sharp, green eyes. “So,” the boy said, sounding unimpressed. “ _You’re_ my father?”

The boy’s name was Damian. He was Bruce’s son. His real son, not another orphan Bruce adopted off the streets. Bruce told Clark over and over again that it happened before he met Clark, and Clark insisted that he was not angry or upset.

Clark tried getting along with Damian. After all, Damian would probably grow up to be the next Protector of the fae folk. But it was uncertain. The Queen mentioned that she felt very dark energies coming from Damian, and it was best to keep an eye on him for a while first.

Damian grew up in the League of Assassins, and he was taught to kill. Teaching him Bruce’s ways were frustrating for both father and son. The Manor was filled with arguments day in and day out.

And after yet another disappointing patrol, Bruce stormed out of the house and went to the lake house instead.

The lake house was their secret place. Only Alfred knew about it. It was not that Bruce did not trust his other children, but because he wanted a place where it was only for him and Clark.

“Hey, are you okay?” Clark asked.

Bruce sighed tiredly. “Yeah,” he said. He buried his head in Clark’s shoulders. “He seems to be warming up to me,” he murmured.

Clark laughed and held Bruce tighter. “He is showing progress,” Clark said. “I’m sure just a little longer, and he will understand.”

“I hope so,” Bruce said. “I really do. I want to be a good father to him. He needs one.”

“And you will be,” Clark promised. He put his hands on either side of Bruce’s face and pulled him into a kiss. “You already are.”

Bruce pushed Clark away. “Hey, you want to go for a swim?”

“Sure,” Clark said. “Now?”

Bruce smiled. “It’s been a while since I’ve said hello to Lois.”

“Great!” Clark said cheerfully. “Just let me get changed.”

They both quickly changed. Clark into his blue, skin-tight clothes. Bruce just wore swim trunks. Clark pulled open the trap door and immediately jumped in. He lit up like a blue light in the dark water. He waited for Bruce to jump in. When Bruce joined him underwater, Clark grabbed his hand. Bruce’s swirls of tattoos also started glowing a dull blue.

It was a slight transfer of powers, to allow Bruce to breathe underwater. They swam down into the depths.

“Lo!” Clark called.

A few moments later, Lois popped up, excited as ever to see Bruce. They chatted for a while before letting Lois get back to work. They swam back up to the surface. Clark let go of Bruce’s hand, and they burst into the night.

Bruce smiled at Clark.

“What?” Clark asked.

“Nothing,” Bruce said softly. “I’m just glad it’s you.”

Clark blushed. “You _always_ say that, but I never have any idea what you mean.”

Bruce laughed quietly. He grabbed Clark’s face this time and pulled him in. Their foreheads touched. “You don’t have to know,” Bruce promised. “It’s not that important, but it makes me happy.” He kissed Clark hard.

Then, Clark switched.

He popped back into his fairy form, hovering above the water. Bruce blinked at him in surprise.

Clark stuck his tongue out at him. “Catch me if you want another kiss,” he teased before diving back into the water.

Bruce went straight after him. They zipped through the water, Clark much faster than Bruce, but he would wait for Bruce to catch up, tease him a bit, and then dart off again.

An hour later, when they were both worn out and thoroughly relaxed. Clark dashed through the trapdoor first, laughing as Bruce’s hand came up and grabbed at him but closed around air.

“Too slow, old man,” Clark teased.

Then he froze in place. Bruce climbed through the trapdoor, grabbing the towel he left on the ground. He closed the door and looked up, also freezing.

Sitting on the bed, staring straight at them, was Damian. His arms were crossed and an unreadable expression was on his face.

“Damian…” Bruce said slowly.

Damian looked at him, then slowly moved his eyes to Clark, then to the window at the lake’s moonlit surface.

“Father,” Damian said calmly. “I hope you know that there are flesh-eating mermaids in that lake.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END
> 
> I don't know what my next Superbat fic will be but this will be my upcoming figs: JayTim, JonDami, and Batjokes in that order. So it may be a month or so.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this story, and an extra token of appreciation for those who waited through the erratic updates.
> 
> Leave me one last comment!
> 
> Marking my spot here,
> 
> ~Jessica
> 
> P.S. I also finally started using my [Tumblr](https://lockedandlokied.tumblr.com/), so if wanna listen to me there as well...


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